History/Planning Process

The planning process is designed to be open, transparent and to engage the public. Since the timeline is subject to change, interested parties are encouraged to Click Here to sign-up for email updates. The website will be updated as the project advances through the application process.

Pre-Application Timeline

1976: Sierra College purchases the property from Mr. Cecil Finegold who had acquired the property from Ida and Bob Otani. The Otani’s grew peaches and pears on the property until it was no longer economically viable. In the early 1990’s, the college explored leasing some of the property for a driving range and in the middle 2000’s the College explored a commercial development that did not materialize due to the economic downturn.

March 30, 2015: Sierra College solicits development proposals from development community.

February 9, 2016: The Sierra College Board of Trustees adopts Guiding Principles on how the surplus property should be developed.

February 2016: Sierra College selects Dan Cole, president/CEO of Evergreen Sierra East, as the master developer of College Park (formerly Sierra Villages).

January 9, 2017: Evergreen Sierra East submits project application with the City of Rocklin. Application is not advanced.

Early 2018: Cresleigh Homes is added to the development team to build homes on portions of College Park North (Site A) and portions of College Park South (Site C-1).

August 29, 2018: The development team invites over 700 neighboring households to the community meeting at Sierra Elementary School to introduce conceptual plan for College Park (formerly Sierra Villages).

December 2018:Based on neighbor and community input, the number of single-family homes to be located at College Park South (Site C-1/near Monte Verde Park) is reduced from 37 to 25 homes.

December 2018: Based on neighborhood feedback, a new project application is submitted to the City of Rocklin, an application process that will likely take up much of 2019.

Application Timeline

January 2019 – Development team launches project website and continues to meet with interested parties, a process that is ongoing throughout the application process.

January-August 2019 (Application Process): During the application process, the project will first undergo extensive environmental (CEQA) review which will include traffic analysis. The traffic analysis will not only evaluate the impacts of College Park, but the cumulative impact of other proposed projects, including Sierra College’s Facility Master Plan.

During the planning process, public participation is encouraged. When the Notice of Preparation (NOP) is released to the public, neighbors can ask the city to study potential project impacts. The evaluations of these and other impacts will be included in a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) that will be released publicly, and the public can offer written comments on the document’s analysis. And finally, before the project can be approved, hearings will be held before the City’s planning commission and city council. All public hearings will be publicly noticed.